Detained father of cancer-stricken teen gets bond hearing

CHICAGO (WGN) — A federal judge has ruled that a father seeking release from detainment by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as his daughter battles a rare and aggressive life-threatening form of cancer, will get a bond hearing next week.

Ruben Torres Maldonado remains incarcerated inside the Clay County Jail in Brazil, Indiana.

While the presiding federal judge denied Maldonado’s request for a temporary restraining order (TRO) that would have allowed him to return home to his family, the judge did rule in favor of a court hearing on or before Friday, Oct. 31.

Federal agents arrested Maldonado last Saturday outside a Home Depot in Niles. He has lived in the United States since 2003 and has two children who are U.S. citizens.

Maldonado’s oldest child, 16-year-old Ofelia, a student at Lake View High School, is receiving treatments for stage four metastatic cancer at Lurie Children’s Hospital.

“Ruben is a loving father and belongs with his family–especially as his daughter, Ofelia, battles stage four metastatic cancer. The separation of this family is inhumane and profoundly unjust. We are hopeful he will be returning home pending an immigration bond hearing in the coming days,” said attorney Kalman Resnick of Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym., Ltd., which represents Maldonado.

The Department of Homeland Security alleges Maldonado’s criminal history includes habitual driving offenses, including being charged multiple times with driving without insurance, driving without a valid license, and speeding.

Maldonado’s family has argued that they would suffer exceptional hardship if he were deported.